


15 Million

by angelboygabriel



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Realities, Dr. Strange centric, Emotions, Infinity War spoilers, M/M, Magic, Mild Angst, Sexual Content, Tony Stark Appreciation, mentions of others - Freeform, nonlinear timeline, one wild roller coaster of feels, parenting, the Cloak is stephen’s wingman, the Cloak of Levitation - Freeform, the Infinity Gauntlet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-12
Updated: 2018-05-12
Packaged: 2019-05-05 16:41:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14622852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelboygabriel/pseuds/angelboygabriel
Summary: For every alternate reality there were ten thousand alternate realities from that. And from those ten thousand more. And then ten thousand more off each of those. And so it goes.The Avengers win once. There’s ten thousand versions of it.Stephen Strange doesn’t know what to make of the fact that Tony Stark seems to be *his* victory.





	15 Million

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. The first snapshot can be read as either Pepper needs no man or anti Pepper... your choice
> 
> 2\. These are in no particular chronological order as they’re all separate potential realities, despite the numbers. They’re all different victory verse outcome snapshots.
> 
> 3\. Ironstrange is Marvel’s it couple and I will not be taking arguments

 

There’s only one victory. There’s ten thousand different versions of it. Stephen Strange, holder of the Eye of Agamotto, looks into time and reality itself and sees himself reflected back. When he finds the single victorious outcome, the literal last possibility (it’s number 15,312,756) Stephen looks deeper into the ten thousand versions of it.

The best ones... have Tony Stark.

 

* * *

 

138.

 

It’s a beautiful wedding, sure, but it’s uncomfortable. Tony only briefly glances at Pepper when she’s walking down the aisle. The rest of the time he’s staring at Stephen.

All of Tony’s friends want to scream for him to stop. This isn’t right. He’s not happy. Stop it.

Pepper’s eyes follow Tony’s, and she stops in her tracks. She’s got that look on her face, the disappointed, calculating, pitying look she usually saves for Tony. Not Stephen.

“I’m not doing this.” she says, loud enough for everyone to hear.

She hands her bouquet to Bucky. Her veil goes to Natasha. Pepper smiles at Tony. “Pepper Stark doesn’t sound as good as Pepper Potts anyways.” she says, and Tony laughs. This is fucking ridiculous.

The guests start dispersing when Pepper does, probably off to take advantage of free food, everyone leaving until it’s just Tony and Stephen.

“This is the worst wedding I’ve ever been to.” He deadpans, and Tony shrugs before he sits down on the steps of the altar’s dais. Stephen gets up and joins him.

“It’s not too bad.”

They share a look and crack up laughing.

“It’s that bad.” Tony corrects himself, and their laughter fades as they continue to sit, Tony inching their hands closer together until they’re interlaced.

The honeymoon suite Tony had booked in Fiji that night still gets used, just not with Pepper.

(Stephen wants to know if it’s messed up that they did that.)

 

* * *

 

395.

 

“But that doesn’t make any sense!” Peter yells in frustration, and Tony sharply glares at him from across the kitchen. He points at the phone and Peter turns red.

“Sorry, Dad.” he whispers before turning back to Stephen.

“Why can’t I go? Shuri gets to. It’s not like it’s hard for you to get me there. Use a portal. You can even use that as permission to immediately remove me when I underage drink and you can watch whatever I do too. I’ve been really good lately. Please, pleeeeease.” Peter begs.

“Okay, first of all, _when_ you underage drink?! Second of all, I am not Shuri’s parent, I am _yours_ , and I said no.” Stephen says firmly, and Peter whines and dramatically plants his face in his hands before he fixes Stephen with a crushing case of puppy dog eyes.

“Oh, no you don’t-“

“ _Please_ , Doctor Dad!” he wheedles, and that stupid expression and nickname melts Stephen.

“Fine. Fine! You can go.” he relents, and Peter jumps up out of his chair and whoops.

“THANK YOU! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” he cheered and gave Stephen a crushing hug. Tony hung up and put his hands on his hips.

“I’m just gonna call them back because my son is being incredibly loud.” Tony says pointedly and Peter sits back down next to Stephen. He smiles in embarrassment and Stephen just rolls his eyes.

“Shuri and I got invited to a party that the Sokovian prince is throwing and Dad said I can go.”

“Excuse me?” Tony blurts out, looking at Stephen.

“He called me Doctor Dad!” I can’t say no to that!” Stephen defends, and Tony pinches the ridge of his nose.

(Stephen... enjoys fatherhood.)

 

* * *

 

721.

 

“Do you ever think there could have been another way?” Tony asks.

Stephen is meditating but he communicates into Tony’s mind psychically.

_No. I wish there was. Maybe this was best after all._

“It just seems like bullshit. Vaguely lucky but fucking awful bullshit.”

_Let’s be honest, no one expected Thanos to play himself that bad. Disappearing with half the universe and all the infinity stones? It’s a little poetic._

“I just... Stephen, I wish we could bring them back.”

_I know._

(Stephen knows how to count the wins and the losses. This is both. They can’t bring back Steve or Bucky or Rocket or Thor or T’Challa or Peter’s friend Ned... but some people are alive. If Stephen’s being honest, he knows it’s not good enough. It’s the worst win.)

 

* * *

 

1,101.

The Cloak of Levitation really has a thing against Tony Stark and it’s getting on Stephen’s nerves. It’s always dragging Tony into his line of sight and smacking him and other ridiculous stuff that makes it seem like the Cloak is _babysitting_ Tony.

“Can you PLEASE call this thing off?” Tony pleads, smacking away the fabric.

“I’m trying!” Stephen countered, pulling hard and making no headway as he tried to walk away. His collar smacked him.

“Hey!” he said before the thing jerked him hard and he fell into Tony.

They both crashed to ground, and the Cloak apparently had good enough graces to somewhat catch them both. It wrapped around both of them tightly, and Tony let out an undignified shriek as it yanked them both back up, pulling them completely off the ground before they stumbled back into a standing position again.

Stephen feels his face burning as the Cloak keeps them pressed together. They’ve never been this... close before.

“Excuse me, how do I get out of this?” Stephen asks his relic crossly, and a corner of it pushes their faces together, Tony and Stephen’s eyes widening in surprise as they half yell against each other’s lips.

The Cloak slides itself around Tony’s shoulders. Tony’s arms drape around Stephen’s neck.

By the time Wong walks in, the Cloak is levitating Tony up a few inches so Stephen doesn’t have to bend so much. They sway while they make out, lips and arms locked around each other. Wong clears his throat loudly and they break apart to look at him dazedly. Tony seems to stimulate a magical feedback loop with Stephen, which deeply unfortunately interests Wong into wondering how the loop would manifest Stephen’s energies.

“I see you’ve resolved your... differences.” Wong observes. There’s a blush high on Tony’s face and he smiles stupidly.

“...Yeeeeeah.” he replies. Wong remains stoically unimpressed.

“When you’re finished getting in the Sorcerer Supreme’s cloak, call the President back. She wants to talk to you and Congress about reparation efforts and international relief aid.” Wong addresses Tony. He nods, and Wong promptly leaves, his message delivered.

The Cloak lowers Tony back onto the ground before sweeping back over to latch onto Stephen.

“You should go do that important business.” Stephen says, and Tony smirks.

“ _You’re_ important business.” he shoots back, and Stephen kisses him slow and deep.

“Make it fast and we can take it slow.” Stephen promises. He grimaces slightly at the line, but Tony delights in it and runs away, probably to rush Madame President.

(Every new start he sees, Stephen feels a little bit more infatuated. And maybe... more.)

 

* * *

 

1,766.

“Touch me.” Tony exhales.

Stephen doesn’t know _how_ , they’re so close and tight and hot and clinging Stephen cant muster the power to think of any way for more touch.  

This isn’t really any type of sex Stephen is used to. It’s not hate, or love, or celebration, or comfort, or boredom. It’s... well, maybe it is celebration. They’re alive.

Tony is _so alive_ and Stephen can’t resist every point of contact. The room is stifling hot with magic and moans, sweat dripping down their backs and faces as Stephen fucks Tony.

It’s good. It’s so good.

Stephen slides their mouths together because he can, kissing Tony deep and filthy. They kiss and kiss until Tony is shuddering with his orgasm, grabbing Stephen’s face in his hands. He fucks him through it, and it takes just a minute of Tony sweet talking him through it before Stephen comes too. Their remnant combined magic settles on them, and Stephen can sense the way it settles in Tony. Future vision. It’s a very Strange mark.

Tony had an aptitude for it before, but with all the sex and close contact, it was sharpening ever so slightly. Stephen liked knowing he’d left a tangible abilities to Tony.

They both slump onto the bed and tangle up in each other’s arms. Tony feels like home, safety, and victory.

(Passion is winning. Winning is passion.)

 

* * *

 

3,416.

They won’t stop shaking.

There’s some days Stephen can barely stand to look at his own hands, when all the stress balls and hand exercises and even his own healing magic doesn’t seem to work. And Stephen, Stephen hates it.

He watches them tremble, despising the way he chokes up over something so stupid. Two hands close over his own and Stephen looks up from where he’s hunched over on a couch in the Sanctum. It’s Tony Stark.

They’d struck up something of a friendship in the midst of battling Thanos, and they’d gotten comfortably close in the aftermath. Tony was a good man and great friend.

“You okay, Doc?” he asked, and Stephen laughed bitterly.

“Just a little shaky.” he replies, and Tony rolls his eyes at the pun. He squats down on his knees so he’s level with Stephen.

“It’s alright, you know...” he says uncertainly. “It’s fine to struggle sometimes. But you’re not in this alone.” Tony finishes, uncharacteristically serious. Stephen looks in his eyes. Tony is _worried_ about him.

“I am... grateful to have a friend like you.” Stephen says and Tony gives him a genuine smile.

“You’re an asshole, but I am too so I don’t really care. Well, I mean I care, _about_ you, but not about the fact you can be a prickly bitch. You know what I mean.” he jokes, and Stephen gives an amused shake of his head.

“I guess I’m not very used to people caring.” he says.

That’s when Tony hugs him. Stephen freezes.

This is new. Eventually, he melts into Tony’s arms.

“Thank you.” he whispers.

(It’s always Tony.)

 

* * *

 

5,970.

“Morning, Dr. Sexy.” Tony grumbles in his ear before rolling on top of him.

Stephen blearily opens his eyes.

“My legs still hurt thanks to _you_ so I’m gonna lay here for a few minutes.” Tony tells him.

Stephen’s still trying to collect himself and he scrubs a hand across his face. “We had sex last night, didn’t we?” he asks after a beat.

“Uh, _yeah_ we did. Welcome back to the living world, I guess. Want some more ass as a ‘congrats’ for surviving Thanos?” Tony deadpans.

Stephen chooses not to answer that line of questioning.

“You’re heavy.” he says instead.

“And your morning wood is pressed against my thigh, but you don’t see me complaining.” Tony says plaintively. Stephen sighs and relaxes fully into Tony’s bed.

Stephen puts a leg around Tony’s waist and Tony grins wickedly.

“I don’t usually do one night stands.” Stephen says, and Tony ducks down to kiss his chest.

“Good thing this isn’t a one night thing.” he replies, and his voice leaves no room for argument. Not like Stephen was gonna argue anyways.

“We should probably talk about things.” Stephen says, dropping the token line as Tony starts to kiss lower down his body.

“Yeah, but I kinda wanna tie you up with that magic rope shit and ride you until you’re screaming.” Tony states, like he’s talking about the weather and not fucking Stephen.

Stephen’s breath catches in his throat, and he wills a clone of himself to appear. Tony’s eyes go wide.

“This is usually fifth date stuff, but I guess forgoing first dates and the like is completely acceptable.” he says. Both Stephens smile at Tony, who looks like someone had just told him he can have an entire lab day with Bruce and Shuri. In short, it’s like a kid in a candy shop.

“We time travelled, let’s pretend this is the sixth date.” Tony compromises before he flops onto his back and pulls down both Stephen’s by the shoulder with a laugh.

“I’ll let you tie me up, but then we’ll fuck you into the astral plane.” Stephen whispers into Tony’s ear. His clone nods and slides his hand down to Tony’s boxers.

“Friday? Please clear all my plans this morning. I’m going to be very busy.”

(Tony once remarked that he keeps Strange on his toes, but Stephen keeps him on his knees. Stephen replies smugly that no, he keeps Tony in his heart... and in his pants. Stephen can’t stand the idea of admitting he’s falling for him so he just takes the relentless teasing instead.)

 

* * *

 

8,003.

“Do you ever notice that you do that sometimes?” Tony asks abruptly, pointing at his hands. Stephen’s mouth snaps shut, argument from the fight they _had_ been in the middle of dying on his lips. His hands are shaking, like they usually do when he’s extra emotional, but they glow too. It’s the orange that Stephen recognizes as his own pent up magic.

He’s not wearing his sling ring or his cloak, and realizes his magic has gotten to the point where it’s starting to manifest without outlets.

“There’s other stuff too, sometimes.” Tony says, and now Stephen is interested. Well, Tony would know best considering they’d moved in together last year, the year after Thanos.

“The hand glowy thing is pretty common when you don’t have your ring but you pop lightbulbs sometimes and don’t realize it. Also, you sleep levitate sometimes and it freaks me the fuck out when I wake up because I’m cold because my boyfriend is a foot up in the air taking all the blankets.” Tony says.

“Is there anything else you notice?” Stephen replies, and Tony’s expression softens.

“Yeah.”

“Like what?”

“Well. There’s this special smirk you save just for me and it looks like you’re annoyed with me, wanna bang me, and adore me all in one. I notice that silver streak in your hair is insanely attractive. Your hands are calm when I hold them. You like to rub my back when I... we, uh,  _fuck_ , and you talk to yourself in the shower. Like, you monologue Shakespeare and it kinda impresses me.” he says, and Stephen’s a bit taken aback.

“And you’re always asleep or astral projected away when I say I love you because I’m too scared to say it to your face.” he adds almost as an afterthought. Stephen has no clue what to say.

“Tony, I-“

“No, it’s okay. I know you’re not comfortable saying it back and I’m not gonna push you into that. I know how you feel. I don’t need words to notice.” he says with a smile and Stephen feels like his heart hurts. Stephen walks up to him and cups his face before he kisses it.

Tony starts laughing when Stephen bites his lip and they break apart.

“Affection.” he says. “ _Disgusting_. Do it again.” he asks, and Stephen happily complies.

(It takes time, as all things do. “I love you, Tony Stark.” he admits one day. “I love you.”)

 

* * *

 

10,000.

Everything, everything turns to dust.

Stephen... is Stephen no more.

Time and Reality rips him apart for giving up the time stone just to save one man’s life. Nothing lasts Forever and Never, and suddenly Stephen is Stephen again.

He jerks up off the pavement with a bolt. A newspaper blows into his face and he peels it off.

(It’s 2012, but Time is currently getting torn.)

Tony Stark is screaming, _burning_ , hand in the Infinity Gauntlet. He’s sobbing and screaming and Stephen shakily reaches out for him. Tony sees him on the ground and falls to his knees, grabbing him with the one hand that isn’t in the Infinity Gauntlet. Stephen can barely register anything over the crushing wail of magic and Tony’s voice.

Stephen and Tony nearly pass out on each other trying to keep the fucking thing working long enough to restore Time, Reality, and their sisters. He registers people running over to hold them and touch them and then the burden isn’t so bad.

Stephen thinks: this must be it. They’ve really died now.

Loki, Valkyrie, Scott Lang, Steve Rogers, Nova, Bruce Banner, Peter Quill and Peter Parker, Thor, Gamora, Bucky Barnes, T’Challa, Okoye, Wong, Natasha Romanoff, Wanda. One last person stumbles over to the massive circle they’ve made, and everyone flies backwards as Carol Danvers adds her touch to the Gauntlet.

Stephen, Tony, the Peters, and Mantis wake up on Titan.

“Oh god. Oh my fucking god. We did it.”

Stephen Strange breaks down in tears.

 


End file.
